Verse 9

[WhiteRabbit]

(Yep, I agree we don't really need Shelley. Just thought I'd mention him since I like the wall and the shell connection. Thing is, you can identify phrases that were taken from the location, then you can go a step further and ask, why those particular phrases, in a no-stone-unturned kind of way.)

Brainstorming...

The flag and tree trunk are quite similar. (There's also a slight resemblance between the flag with purple motif and the purple-headed flowers.)

Here's a comparison without scaling.



The verse refers to a silver salt cellar. Its sign talks about casques and Ponce de Leon.

"Casque" means “helmet”, from the Spanish "Casco".

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=casque

This draws attention to Ponce’s helmet.

Now, if the tree trunk represents Magnolia Ave…



…then by analogy, we could say the flagstaff also represents Magnolia Ave…



…with elements along it which include the wall…



…the hydrant…





…and the planetarium…



Both of these stick versions of Magnolia Ave have a suggestion of the planetarium’s dome-and-awning shape at the base.

[erexere]

Behind bending branches
I remember a time about twenty years ago I was in my first year on the crew team at U of O and the first thing we would do in the morning to warm up was grab a big boat oar, four people per oar, run six miles around the lake and then line up on the dock and do sit-ups while still holding the oar.  This gem of repressed memory just popped into my mind the other day and I thought it might apply to military exercise training.  Imagine a large group of soldiers doing sit-ups and pushups in their barracks, specifically the army branch...

[erexere]

Here I basically work with 4 words: shell, limestone, silver, salt.  The abalone seashell consists of calcium carbonate, limestone is also calcium carbonate, silver is a good description of the lustrous mother of pearl or irridescent nacre of abalone shells, and calcium carbonate is a salt.  Also, the moon looks very pearl-like and one particular shape of pearl often used in pendants is called "teardrop" in shape.  Please observe the large illustration of selected wiki excerpts:

[fox]

I like your pearls for what we have called the color blind test....fits quite nicely.  But now where....argh 

[WhiteRabbit]

(Seems calcium carbonate is also made from oyster shells...)



http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 041AAr24bd

[erexere]

WR, you have discovered a new which-came-first-chicken-egg conundrum!

Hmm...Florida is always going to be in the picture.  Maybe there's a toothfairy connection with Sodium Fluoride.

My brain could use a good flossing about now...

[forest_blight]

Don't forget this (possibly) simpler explanation!

http://family.webshots.com/photo/227624 ... 0493VCCsUN
http://family.webshots.com/photo/274918 ... 0493UtPpMJ

...both visible at the FOY in St. Augustine.

[shecrab]

I honestly don't know why any other explanation is being pursued. This was so clear and so apt that it SINGS. And the ONLY reason a casque has not been found in FOY park is that they won't let anyone dig there. With all the other confirmers, why on earth is any other location even being considered?

[erexere]

Hey, I get that FOY is warm and fuzzy, but I am not disdainfully opposed while toying with an alternative.  I was just noticing there is a George Washington like alignment with image 12 to go with this.  The underside of the woman's arms and the midsection of the white robe matches the dollar bill image of shoulder to mouth to shoulder.  It's not perfect but just enough that it really catches on.

[WhiteRabbit]

D'oh, sorry Forest, forgot. But although no-one is going to allow random unauthorised digging on their property, they're not implacably opposed to this puzzle. Last time I contacted them the manager even said he'd be willing to try digging for it himself. I reckon the problem is just that no-one has pinpointed an exact spot yet.

[maltedfalcon]

I just cant buy into the Fountain of Youth Park,
The whole park is Private Property and it was in 1982
and it is behind a large wall that has a gate that closes when the park is closed for business...
I just cant picture him digging in there at all.
especially when there is one verse that says "get Permission to dig out" and its not this one.

And less than 100 yards away is a public park

[WhiteRabbit]

Good point, although you just posted that:

But you are missing the function of the verse, which is specifically to guide you to the square foot spot you are supposed to dig.

Every single line of this verse is about FOY. What is there that could take you away from it?

Personally I don't think it's in the restricted part of FOY - I still reckon it's just the other side of the wall...(base of Magnolia, formerly the main entrance, now a quiet corner begging for a soil probe.) I'm open-minded about a local park if there can be any clues found for it, but unless there are any green picket fences there, seems to me it would have to be the image rather than the verse that pinpointed the spot.

I last looked at this back in March when FOY were offering to take photos of this area and dig it up, and cobock1 was planning a visit. Never heard back from either of those though. Time to hassle some people...



The first chapter

Accounted for.

Written in water

Why Shelley? Fits though.

Near men
With wind rose
Behind bending branches
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
Shell, limestone, silver, salt
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night

All present and correct.

Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops

Smacks of repetition. Night/darkness. Like moonlight (silver) in teardrops (salt). Why the repetition?

Over the tall grass

Well, yeah, probably, if you take it literally. Bit odd - about as useful as "cars abound". Might also be referencing the image perhaps.

Years pass, rain falls.

Etc.

[forest_blight]

"written in water" = "fountain of youth"

Also, the last few lines to serve merely to spell out SELOY as an acrostic.

[erexere]

My first interpretation of 'written in water' was saying a "message in waves", some kind of broadcast antenna?  But when I settle down and think about it normal-like I take it to mean a tale of grief.  At this point I would look for something sad or misfortunate about whichever plausible location is being referenced.  I can't speak for FOY, but the events prior to Pickett taking residence in Washington were quite sad given that the woman he loved, Miss Sally Minge died in childbirth along with the unborn child.  Pickett moved on, married an indian woman in Washington named Morning Mist, and they had a son.  I venture to say "morning" is homonymous with "mourning".

[WhiteRabbit]

I was just taking another look at the hydrant, and I like the square-within-the circle thing with the flag…





Maybe this could be a marker for a spot beside the wall…? The picture could indicate the relative positions of the hydrant, the tree, and the “casque” (helmet/box).



…in which case, could this be the palm…?



Emailed the FOY manager earlier who's replied to say: "Very interesting! I will check out the area. It is outside the property wall and would have been easier to access than other areas we considered."

With strong leads, an undisturbed site, and a helpful park manager, I reckon this one offers a real chance of retrieval if we can just find the last piece of the puzzle.

* * * * *

Here’s a recap of some of the other possible visual matches also seen at this spot.

The jacket and the green picket fence…



The planetarium…





The cannon…



The bending branches…



The stone pillars…



The wall…